Method of and means for holding front panels for women&#39;s knitted swimsuits to be trimmed



June 1965 E. D. ESTEPHANIAN 3,186,413

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR HOLDING FRONT PANELS FOR WOMEN'S KNITTEDSWIMSUITS TO BE TRIMMED Filed Nov. 19, 1962 [NV ENT OR.

ESTA PH AN D. ESTAPHAN IAN ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,186,413METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR HOLDING FRONT PANELS FOR WOMENS KNITTEDSWIMSUITS TO BE TRIMMED Estephan Der Estephanian, Worcester, Mass.,assignor to Esteban, Inc, Manchester, NH, a corporation of New HampshireFiled Nov. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 238,617 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-516) Thisinvention relates to a method of and means for holding a stack of twentyor more clothing parts which are to be simultaneously trimmed, and moreespecially to the holding of stacks of clothing parts made of syntheticyarns which are comparatively slippery. It is an object of the inventionto hold such parts tightly when stacked so that they will not slip oneon another when the trimming is being done. It is a further object ofthe invention to provide means for holding for trimming a stack ofclothing parts which have three-dimensional portions shaped to conformto curved contours of the body. For example, the front panel of a womansswimsuit can be knitted in such a way as to form three-dimensionalbulges for breast cups. According to the present invention, such panelscan be stacked and trimmed so that the panels when trimmed will haveuniform outlines.

For this purpose the panels are interleaved by spacers each of which hasan aperture of a size and location to receive the bulging portions ofthe panel, the panel being doubled by folding on the vertical medianline since the panel is symmetrical with respect to the vertical median.The spacers are shaped to the desired contour of the doubled panels sothat when alternate panels and spacers have been stacked to a desiredheight, the stack is clamped and is ready to be trimmed along the edgesof the superposed spacers.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be hadto the following description thereof and to the drawing, of which FIGURE1 is a plan view of an elongated table on which are mounted embodimentsof the invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view on a larger scale, on the line 22 of FIGURE1.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated on the rawing is designedfor holding a stack of front panels for womens swimsuits in position forsimultaneous trimming, but the invention can be applied to parts ofother types of clothing. Front panels for womens swimsuits can besuccessfully knitted in such a way as to form threedimensional bulgesfor the breast cups. Since the panels are symmetrical with respect totheir vertical median, each panel may be folded on the vertical median,the two breast cup bulges being then superposed, one on the other. Theextra fabric in the bulges as compared with their projection on a planeposes a problem in stacking such panels for simultaneous trimming. Theuse of nylon yarn or the like, with or without an admixture of crimpedyarns in the fabric, makes the fabric somewhat slippery and thereforeditficult to keep in vertical registry when panels are stacked.

To hold a stack of front panels for womens swimsuits in correctposition, a rigid base board is provided, this board being cut to theshape to which the knitted panels are to be trimmed.

If the panels P are to be folded double before being trimmed, the baseboard will have one straight edge 12 to register with the line of foldof the panel P laid thereon. From this straight edge a plurality of ears14 project from the board in the same plane, these cars preferably beingintegral with the board. Two such ears are indicated in FIGURE 1. Avertical post 16 is rigidly mounted on each car 14 to extend upward ashigh as the top of 3,186,413 Patented June 1, 1965 ICC the stack whichis to be formed on the base board. A reinforcing block 18 may be securedunder each car 14 to provide a firm foundation for the post 16 on thecar.

A series of interleaves 20 is provided to go between successive panelsP-when they are stacked on the board 10. Each interleaf 20 has the sameoutline contour as the base board 10 and two cars 22 along its straightedge to be directly over corresponding ears 14 when the stack is formed.Each car 22 has an aperture 24 to receive the corresponding post 16. Theaperture may be a hole or a notch, the latter being the more convenient,to assist in lining up the interleaves directly over the base board 10as illustrated in FIGURE 2. The interleaves 20 are preferably but notnecessarily stiff or rigid with surfaces which are not too smooth andmay be made of any suitable material such as plywood or any of thesynthetic materials used for making thin, hard boards. At the top of thestack is a rigid top board 26. The stack is made by laying a foldedpanel P on the base board 10 so that the folded edge bears against theposts 16 and thus registers with the straight edge 12 of the board. Theirregular margins of the folded panel extend beyond the other edges ofthe board 10. To accommodate the breast cup bulges of the panel P, ahole 30 is provided in the board 10 properly located to receive thethree-dimensional portions of the panel P. This avoids the wrinkling ofthe panel which would otherwise occur. An interleaf 20 is then placed onthe panel P and is made to register accurately with the base board 10engaging the posts 16 in the apertures 24. The interleaf is providedwith a hole 32 which is directly above the hole 30 in the base board andis thus in a position to receive the three-dimensional portions of thepanel P. A second panel is placed on the interleaf and more interleavesand panels are stacked in alternation to the desired height. The stackis topped by a rigid top board 26, and clamping means are brought tobear thereon to press the stack strongly down on the base board. Theclamp may be independent of the stack or, as shown, may be mounted on anextension 34 of the base board 10. On the extension 34 is a verticalmember 36 having two pivots 38, 40 at the upper end thereof. An arm 42swingable about the pivot 38 carries a presser foot 44 which bears onthe top board 26. The arm 43 is actuated by a toggle linkage 46, 48, thelink 48 being a part of an operating lever 50 pivoted at 40.

Rear panels are knitted to be joined to the front panels at the sides bysuitable stitching. Some styles of swimsuits also include acrotch-piece. These can be knitted on the same machine with the frontpanel by a suitable arrangement of buttons on the pattern chain of themachine. FIGURE 1 shows apparatus for clamping front panels P which areknitted integral with rear panels P and crotch pieces P". The rearpanels and crotch-pieces are stacked on base boards with interleavessuitably shaped to the desired shape for the rear panels andcrotchpieces. Top boards 52, 54 are on top of these stacks and arepressed by clamping means similar to the means employed for clamping thestack of front panels.

For mobility when the stacks are ready to be trimmed, the base boardsare provided with ball casters 60 which roll easily on a supportingtable 62. To keep the base boards in place while the panel pieces andinterleaves are being stacked, shallow depressions 64 are provided inthe table top under the ball casters 60. When the clamps have been set,the stacks can be rolled to the cutter or a cutter can be brought to thestacks. The cutters are guided by the edges of the boards andinterleaves to trim oh the marginal portions of the panels projectingbeyond the edges of the interleaves.

I claim:

1. A method of locating and holding a womans swimsuit front panel havingthree-dimensional bulges for breast cups, which comprises folding thepanel on the vertical median so that the bulges are superposed, layingthe folded panel on a stiff board which has a contour desired for thefolded panel and a hole to receive the bulges, said contour including astraight edge portion corresponding to the fold of a panel and suitablylocated with reference to said hole, arranging a folded panel on saidboard with the fold flush with said straight edge portion and the bulgesfitted into said hole, placing a similarly shaped board on top toregister with the-first said board, and clamping the boards and thematerial between them.

2. A method of assembling and holding for trimming a substantial numberof front panels for womens swimsuits having three-dimensional bulges forbreast cups, which comprises folding each panel on the vertical medianto put one breast cup bulge directly over the other, stacking the foldedpanels alternately between still interleaves, each interleaf having thecontour desired for the folded panels including a straight edge portionfor the fold and a hole for the breast cups, the stacking operationincluding arranging each folded panel on an interleaf with the UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 281,113 7/83 Morris -2 83-926 X 533,792 2/95 Donovan269-2 970,586 9/10 Whitaker -2 269-2 2,122,261 6/38 Morris 83-565 X2,605,790 8/52 Schwarzer 144-1445 X 2,730,173 1/56 Bresscka 83-565 X2,795,274 6/57 Beaulieu 83-29 2,815,813 12/57 Goldberg 269-2 3,009,37511/61 Hardy 83-29 FOREIGN PATENTS 26,470 11/ 12 Great Britain.

LOUIS R. PRINCE, Primary Examiner. WILLIAM W. DYER, JR., Examiner.

2. A METHOD OF ASSEMBLING AND HOLDING FOR TRIMMING A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBEROF FRONT PANELS FOR WOMEN''S SWIMSUITS HAVING THREE-DIMENSIONAL BULGESFOR BREAST CUPS, WHICH COMPRISES FOLDING EACH PANEL ON THE VERTICALMEDIAN TO PUT ONE BREAST CUP BULGE DIRECTLY OVER THE OTHER, STACKING THEFOLDED PANELS ALTERNATELY BETWEEN STIFF INTERLEAVES, EACH INTERLEAFHAVING THE CONTOUR DESIRED FOR THE FOLDED PANELS INCLUDING A STRAIGHTEDGE PORTION FOR THE FOLD AND A HOLE FOR THE BREAST CUPS, THE STACKINGOPERATION INCLUDING ARRANGING EACH FOLDED PANEL ON AN INTERLEAF WITH THEFOLD FLUSH WITH THE STRAIGHT EDGE PORTION OF THE INTERLEAF AND THEBREAST CUP BULGES FITTED IN THE HOLE OF THE INTERLEAF, AND CLAMPING THESTACKED PANELS AND INTERLEAVES TOGETHER.